Water's Edge
by Punky Misfit
Summary: Pelant makes the ultimate threat; one which drives Booth out of Brennan's life for good. Can she put the pieces together before it's too late? Takes place after 9x1 - The Secrets in the Proposal


The silence in the household was deafening. It was wide enough to swallow Booth whole. In the dark he did his best to creep around without making a sound. The floorboards squeaking beneath his feet caused him to cringe. Patiently he waited for Brennan to stir; to catch him in the act of the despicable crime he was about to commit. Instead she stayed buried deep within the covers of their bed. Whether he felt relieved or not was debatable. If he'd had a say in the matter he never would have separated himself from her loving arms. But his life was no longer within his control. He could only extend her one last act of love. He had to leave. _I'm so sorry, Bones. I wish there was another way._

"_I know what you did, Agent Booth. You broke the rules of our game."_

His shoes slid smoothly across the carpet in the hallway. Downstairs a packed duffel bag was waiting for him in the hall closet. After requesting a leave of absence from work he'd traveled straight home to prepare. By the time Brennan had joined him later on that evening his plans were in place. Throughout dinner he'd been distant towards her; more so than he had already been lately. As a result she'd disappeared with Christine directly after. To add insult to injury he hadn't gone to check on her. Alone he'd cleaned up the remains of the meal left behind, all the while reminding himself that he was doing the right thing.

"_This isn't just about saving five lives anymore. This is about saving hers."_

He simply couldn't go without saying goodbye to his daughter. In her nursery she was sound asleep. He leaned over the side of her crib and looked down over her. His heart ached with pain. "You be good for mommy, okay?" He whispered to her. "And you gotta make her happy. That's important. She's going to need someone to make her happy. I'm counting on you. I love you." He pressed his lips against her forehead. Tears burned his eyes and blurred his vision. "I love you so much."

"_If you love her… if you want to protect her… you'll leave. For good."_

Descending the stairs was a bit trickier. He stood on one for several seconds before lowering him down onto the one that followed. Once he hit the main floor he was home free. He retrieved his pack and slung it over his shoulder. A migraine was building in his mind, and the further he grew away from his family the worse the pain intensified. The echo of his heartbeat pulsated in his ears. His chest was tight with emotion he couldn't allow himself to shed. How could he leave as though his family meant nothing to him? Wouldn't that be what Brennan thought when she woke to his absence? He wasn't even permitted to leave a note to explain himself. He was set to disappear into thin air. Forever.

"_You can't tell her. Or let her know in any way."_

He squeezed his car keys in the palm of his hand to keep them from jingling. Over his shoulder he cast one last mournful look at the life he was leaving behind. _Just go. If you don't you're just going to be tempted to stay. _He shuddered a breath. _I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm so sorry, Bones. _Carefully he pushed through the front door. _I love you._

He waited until he was seated behind the wheel of his car before pulling out his cell phone. A tinny tone rang in his ear until a voice answered at the other end. "It's done," he spit bitterly. "I'm leaving now."

"You're making a wise choice, Agent Booth. Now remember. You can't-"

"Contact her." He interrupted. "Yeah. I got it." With a flick of his wrist he fired up the ignition. "You're gonna pay for this. I'll see to it."

"Yeah. We'll see about that." The voice at the other end tittered. Then the line went dead.

Booth resisted the urge to chuck his phone straight out the window. He would rid himself of it. Later. Much work needed to be done to cover his tracks first, and those tasks involved the use of his phone. No matter how difficult he absolutely had to take all the necessary steps to make himself untraceable. If Brennan were to locate him their family would be destroyed; more so than it already was by his perceived abandonment.

He waited until he had pulled out onto the main stretch of road before switching on his headlights. A long drive stretched out ahead of him. He was retreating to the only place where he knew he'd be safe from the prying eyes every piece of technology had the potential of carrying. Never in his life had he been so paranoid and wary of electronic equipment. It seemed like a silly notion. Who on earth would be afraid of a DVD player? A digital alarm clock? A television? It was hard for him to believe what his life had been reduced to.

Months ago he never would have dreamed how complicated his life was to become. He'd been over the moon with bliss. The last piece of the puzzle to complete the family he'd been dreaming of had finally fallen into place. Brennan, the love of his life, had at last proposed to him. His career was at an all time high. Most importantly, he was on the track to catching Pelant once and for all. Nothing could bring him down from the high he'd been riding on. Or so he had thought.

It'd begun with a simple phone call while the family had been playing in the park. Pelant was out to draw blood. He'd threatened to kill again if Booth accepted and carried through with the proposal. Seeing as the man literally had his eyes and ears in every piece of electrical equipment in the D.C. area alone, Booth had felt no choice but to sacrifice his personal happiness to save others. That night he'd crushed Brennan's heart by suggesting they forget all about marriage. She'd taken the news gracefully with little argument. But in the months that followed it was plain to see what a mistake he had made. Day by day their relationship began to deteriorate. She came to be distant from him. His constant assurances of his love for her no longer held any meaning. Since he knew Pelant was cataloging his every move, there was little he could do to rectify the situation. Telling her wasn't an option; not if he intended to keep five innocent lives safe.

In desperation he'd broken down and told a former friend from his military days. The two had taken refuge in a storage closet with metal lined walls, away from cameras and any other recording devices while he'd confessed his sins. He'd presumed the two of them to be safe. But days later he'd received another phone call. One that filled him full of panic and nearly stopped his heart from beating. Time had run out. His only option left was to run away from everything he knew and loved. He couldn't recall a time in which he'd been in so much pain. Only could he hope that Brennan would recognize a reason behind his sudden departure. Then again, even if she did neither one could act upon any impulses. They had to stay apart.

Little traffic congested the roads since it was so late at night. He waited until he was on the highway before setting the cruise control and leaning back in his seat. _I can't believe I'm doing this. This isn't right. I should be home right now. I should be asleep in bed. What if she reaches out for me and I'm not there? What's going to happen in the morning when she realizes I'm gone? Will she right away? Or will she think I went out running? Or left early to go to work? She's going to think the worst of me. She's never going to trust anyone ever again. _A ball of heat raged in his stomach, turning his insides into a furnace. _But what can I do? I can't go back. I can't keep thinking about this. It's going to drive me insane. _However, there wasn't much else he could focus on. His life was ruined.

"_If you don't leave, Agent Booth. I'll kill her."_


End file.
